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I've noticed some people have encountered this problem. Simply put, the camera can't focus properly at objects situated at about 2-3meters or further. Autofocus can succesfully occur only at macro shots. Sometimes this is coupled with that infamous camera scratching sound, the one that sounds like a dying penguin or whatever.
Well, my phone does all of this and since it's a second hand unit without any warrany, why the hell not, let's fix it. A new sensor is expensive so i had to find other ways to fix the one i have.
After some investigation is seems that the internal construction of these sensors includes a mobile assembly containing the OIS and autofocus mechanical and optical modules. When you focus - relative to the sensor underneath, the lens have about 1.5-2mm travel space, again, relative to the sensor (that's fixed in the frame). When you focus the camera to an object far away, the lens assembly must travel inwards, closer to the sensor. Viceversa, when you focus for a macro shot, the lens travel further appart from the sensor. Pretty simple.
However, all but one of the lens are made from polycarbonate (plastic) like most of the sensor module's guts. This is not a bad thing actually. The choice was made because the optical assembly must be as light as possible and glass+metal would have weighted a lot more. But using plastic has some other problems.
When i disassembled the phone, i extracted the sensor module and activated it outside of the phone casing to make some tests. What i first noticed is that as soon as i enable the camera app, the sensor will get hot. Real hot. You can't touch it after some 2-3 minutes of it running. Most of the heat is generated by the photo sensor itself. It's how these things work. However the heat output from such a huge sensor is more disturbing then the situations found with other phone's small camera sensors. Even so, for example, it is known that HTC One M7 had a failure mode involving it's camera, due to the high heat output, the sensor would burn itself resulting in a pink/purple cast over the image you try to capture. Over time those sensors will fail, HTC replaced them with a different design.
In lumia 1020's case the huge heat output results in a another failure mode. Since the module uses gyroscopes and moving parts (bearings, actuators etc) in plastic rail, the plastic becomes brittle with an increase in temperature so the rails change their position relative to the sensor. So it's mechanical wear amplified by overtemperature.
The aufocus lens subassembly will actually swing out of the correct focusing distance. The 1.5-2mm distance will thus increase over time. Since it's a closed space, there's not enough space to accomodate the new lens position, so at some focal lenghts the mobile assembly will bash against the sensor casing resulting the dead penguin sound.
SO..... HOW TO FIX THIS?
If your phone's camera does the penguin sound all the time, then it's done. It's past feasable repair solutions. If it's only seldom happening or only at specific focus distances, you could still be good to go. Also, no penguin sound but only focus problems is the ideal case.
So, what to do. It could come as a surprise but if it were a human, your phone would have a typical case of short-sightedness or myopia. So... let's treat this condition like we would do with a human.
First step: find some glasses. From some experiments i've determined that my phone has a -2 to -3 myopia. So i found some corresponding glasses, placed one lens over the sensor area and voila : the phone now focuses properly. I can take a landscape photo.
So, with that in mind, find some lenses, specified for -2 to -3 myopia and check them with your phone. Try taking photos without using the flash at both landscapes and macro things. A good lens is one that enables the phone to focus at both macro and landscape. Larger negative value lens (-4 -5 etc) could correct landscape focus but prevent the sensor module to lock a macro focus. So.. experiment.
Second step, the ideal lens should be made from polycarbonate, not glass. You will need to cut the center of the lens itself. You can't cut glass with regular tools. If you find the right lens, proceed to disassembe the phone. Once you remove the sensor, you will see a glass lens glued to the back of the phone's casing (on that round black circle on the back). You will need to find a way to replace that lens with your new found one. Ideally, the piece of lens you cut should be as flat and thin as possible in order to make a flush fit inside the casing. Before glueing anything test the lens at the distance it will be mounted over the sensor. If everything is right, remove the original lens using some hot air (it's glued) and replace it with your custom one.
Third step. Improve the sensor's cooling. Some cooper pads should be already placed there by the manufacturer. Use the back of the screen as a cooling surface. Place cpu thermal compound (arctic silver, any good brand) over those copper pads and check to see if they make contact with the back of the display. If not insert some aditional copper pads. This will prevent further heat related problems and further sensor module damage.
Also... NEVER USE FLASHLIGHT APPS FOR TOO LONG WITH THIS PHONE!. When you use them, you are actually powering up the whole sensor not just the led. This can result in overheating and premature damage to the sensor itself.
I have completed my preliminary tests so i'm now searching for a good lens to place inside the phone, once i find one i'll update this post and ad a picture tutorial.
Meanwhile, feel free to experiment by placing different glasses in front of your phone's camera ( 1cm or closer) and check to see what works for you.
Hope it helps :good:
Thanks for explaining this issue. I was wondering is this software or hardware bug but clear now
ok so i found a pair of used glasses. They have heliomate lenses, ie. they darken by themselves when exposed to sunlight but, i got them for free and figured out it's worth a try.
Also in Romania, you can go to a store specialized in manufacturing seeing glasses and buy lens separately. For example a single -2.5 glass lens will cost about 3 euro here and the polycarbonate ones (needed for this project) about 8-10 euros.
But since i have this glasses i used one of their lenses.
First of all, the lenses are too thick to simply place inside the phone. Therefore some DIY action is required.
Here's what i did:
1. First - removing the original lens over the black cap on the back of the phone. I used hot air, that thing is really stuck in there with some nasty glue stuff. Here's how it looks when removed:
2. I then made a drawing of what i must do with my lens to fit inside the casing.
Click on the image to see the full drawing. The first picture shows the new diy lens as viewed from the top, while the second one shows the profile of the lens. This thing is made using a single lens.
3. I removed one of the glasses lens and started cutting a triangle shape on the center of it. You must use the center portion because the thickness of the lens varies and if it's not constant in the center of your lens you will get a lot of barrel lens distorsion when taking photos. Also, you should use plastic lens, since cutting glass lens is impossible with DIY tools.
I cut the lens using a fine saw using a blade made for cutting metals, or you can use a bread knife, the ones that have jagged blades. It's a slow process, it toked 30 minutes to cut that triangle.
4. Now, I've begun grinding the edges of the triangle with a file, in order to begin forming the upper circle that must be inserted to the back of the phone's camera ring. Here's how it looks after the first try.
5. The hexagon shaped part now must have it's corners grinded. Some care must be taken not to scratch the upper and lower part of the lens. Using a spare casing (silver color one in the photos) i checked to see how much to grind in order to fit the part inside. After all of this is done, here's the end result.
6. I've then inserted the new lens inside my phone casing. A little more grinding is needed to align the lens with the case and the sensor. In order to adjust that - we have those 3 blunt triangle edges. I grinded those to make them sit flush inside the casing with the lens being parallel to the sensor itself.
Once the lens was inside, i temporarely placed the sensor over it and tested how some sample photos look. I took some pictures of far away objects looking for edge to edge sharpness or barrel distorsions. Once I found the optimum position i place a little bit of glue on the edges of the triangle to secure the lens inside.
7. Once that is done, i reassembled the phone. Here how the new lens look, as seen from the back.
.
It's a bit yellowish because of that heliomate coating but it doesn't seem to affect the pictures taken.
How this works? Well, i can now focus at things further apart then 2 meters from the camera. I can do landscape photos (that was totally impossible before). Also the new lens doesn't prevent macro focus.
After all of this I've also learned that a -2 lens would have been ideal, because before of this modification i was able to macro focus at about 15-16cm and now i can only focus at about 18-20cm minimum. The lower you go with these lens (-3, -4 etc) the further you increase the minimum focus distance. I don't care much of the lost 2-3cm but if anyone should try this --- try testing with -2 lens first.
Also, some optics stores (in my country at least) can grind the lens for you (i found this ...of course... after i finished all of this) . You give them the old lens you removed and they will measure it and make one from the new lens.
All in all, it took me about 2 hours since the plastic lens are really easy to grind, it's a pretty soft material.
I didn't post photos taken, just imagine a good working sensor, it simply works. They are not that valuable for other people. It's better to make your own tests, at first by just placing a -2 pair of glasses 1cm in front of your camera and try to focus. If it improves your focus, you may want to read this "tutorial" again and maybe give it a go.
thx so much , am having the same problem and i tried an old pair of glasses in front of my lens and it worked , I'll file it and install it as in this tutorial .
Great DIY tutorial,i dont have problems with my Lumia but is good to know .
Specs of the finished product (DIY)
Hello can I know the ff: specs please.
What is the thickness of the glass?
Diameter of the Circle?
I need to do this..
I am asking a company to do this for me so they want some info..
So the only fix for this problem is to.
Change the Camera Module? or Change the Lens with a grade of -2?
Am I correct?
Please response.
Thank you!
thank u for telling. my Nokia 1020 not focusing far objects, so where can i buy lenses type of glass either cylindrical or spherical glass please tell me
---------- Post added at 08:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 AM ----------
meawmnj said:
thx so much , am having the same problem and i tried an old pair of glasses in front of my lens and it worked , I'll file it and install it as in this tutorial .
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where can u fing glass. iam asking at optical shop he asked cylindrical or spherical. iam confused tell me
The bezel on my S2 gets harder and harder to turn over time with just my thumb (or one finger) on one side, eventually getting to the point where I have to grasp it with two fingers to turn without my finger slipping on it.
This is because it gets dirty. Over time, sweat, dust, dead skin, general grime in the air, etc., works its way under the bezel.
The good news is, IP68. You can wash it. I was hesitant about this at first, because water resistance ratings are not as rigorous as we'd like to think. Further, there are issues of static water intrusion (sitting under water) vs. dynamic forced intrusion (a spray of water hitting the object).
Anyway, I've thoroughly cleaned the bezel mechanical interface several times since I got the watch without any issues. Just took the leather straps off, put the watch under running water, and gently worked the dial around, back and forth, over and over until it was moving very easily and smoothly 360.
Dry it off really well, and the dial movement is like new. Boots back up and works without issue.
The 4 small screws which hold the rear cover of the Gear S2 have a "Y" Shape or "Tri-Wing" screw head.
I am trying to find the size of this special screwdriver and where I can obtain one please?
I have a tri-wing bit to my miniature screwdriver set that I always use open up electronics, but it is not small/sharp enough for these screws. Just today, I orderered this set from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089NNRL4/. I I will try to report back in a few days to let you know if it has one that works.
Wore my Gear S2 snorkling...only went down about 8 feet, but apparently too much for the supposedly ip86 certified S2 Classic. I am optimistic that opening it up and drying it out will get it running again.
DaveKnowsAll said:
Wore my Gear S2 snorkling...only went down about 8 feet, but apparently too much for the supposedly ip86 certified S2 Classic. I am optimistic that opening it up and drying it out will get it running again.
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Sucks to hear, but thrashing your hands swimming probably did the damage. Or going below the 5 foot recommended by Samsung..
The gear s2 is IP68 rated for water, it means that it is not safe to swim, shower, or dive with it on. The IP68 rating is for dust resistance and a submerged depth of 3.3 feet.
I don't know that taking apart the watch will better dry it out, it does take a long time for electronics to dry safely, however it does not guarantee that they will still work.
I would recommend placing it in a silica gel, instant oat meal, or even cat litter. The rice method is not that effective at drying electronics.
alorora said:
The gear s2 is IP68 rated for water, it means that it is not safe to swim, shower, or dive with it on. The IP68 rating is for dust resistance and a submerged depth of 3.3 feet.
I don't know that taking apart the watch will better dry it out, it does take a long time for electronics to dry safely, however it does not guarantee that they will still work.
I would recommend placing it in a silica gel, instant oat meal, or even cat litter. The rice method is not that effective at drying electronics.
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According to Samsung, IP68 (only the "8" matters for water, the "6" is for dust) means that it can "be submerged in 1.5 meters of water, and be submerged in less than 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes". This is consistent with the standards required to achieve an IPx8 rating. Unfortunately, that does not mean they warranty it for that (they don't). In actual practice, my gear S2 classic lived up to their promise. I swum actively, in pools, waterfalls, and the ocean while wearing the watch on many occasions. It was not until I snorkeled to depths below 1.5 meters that I had a problem.
I should receive my screwdrivers this afternoon, so I'll report back on the results. I have much experience with family members dropping electronics in water, and opening them up to dry out/clean out is always the best option to get them working again. Rice/silica, etc. is a substitute for people who can't/won't open their electronics (which usually voids the warranty), but is never as quick or effective.
The "X" in a ipx rating means that it is rated for water resistants but not tested for it. the ip68 certification is also for static water tests, meaning that the test does not cover movement, just submergesion. Also any movement in water on objects almost doubles the pressure rate.
When a watch is rated at 30m it really means that it is not water proof but water resistant. To dive with a watch or swim with one on it must have a minimal rating of 3bar: to surface swim, to dive, 300+m, for deep dives with mixed gasses: 3000+m is needed.
The most miss leading thing about electronics that are ip68 is that they are water 'resistance' not waterproof, and even when it says it is waterproof it is only for a set amount of time up to set time.
Anyone dared to submerge their lovely new shiny phone in water yet?
Edit: Could mods move this to General/discussion please, my bad.
I did, I dropped it in the tub. Only for a couple of seconds though. Running fine no issues.
I am coming from a mate 9 the only thing I see different is the sim card tray has a big rubber seal on it. I guess if they added the same seal on the mate 9 it could qualify for IP68+. I did drop coffee on the mate 9 and the sim tray became almost glued but it kept on humming until I tried to remove it today. It came out but half the sim card seems to have Melted inside the phone.
Good to know, i'm still dubious of any device that has charging port, headphone jack, speaker, microphone and no visible covers.........and being a fisherman it's a bonus knowing that a dip in the lake would still leave the phone working.
For your entertainment!
https://youtu.be/OwqFGSqOMaI
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
crankshaft said:
For your entertainment!
https://youtu.be/OwqFGSqOMaI
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
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Did you do that? Kudos my friend.
craftycarper1 said:
Did you do that? Kudos my friend.
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Click to collapse
For sure!
Here's another!
https://youtu.be/gcta3h5dA2M
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
havent yet with my new phone but my s7e has seen the water many times even recorded underwater
Took the plunge and tried it myself..........won't be trying it again as it just doesn't feel right submerging the phone!!
https://youtu.be/_aXNcS0gajI
I wouldn't make it a habit of purposely using the phone underwater.
Yes, it can take it.
Should you do it, on purpose? Not really.
Just as you don't test a fire extinguisher or even an airbag, it's reassurance in case of accident that your device won't be rendered inoperable.
Water still gets in things even though it doesn't get inside. The headphone jack has internal contacts and these will get contaminated with mineral deposits left behind from being exposed to water. Sea water is far worse as the salt residue that's left behind is highly hygroscopic (meaning it absorbs moisture) so every time the device is in a humid environment those surfaces become wet to the touch and that wetness is both highly corrosive AND conductive. This is why any gear, no matter what its waterproofness rating is, must be rinsed with *fresh* water after use in marine environments.
In short, your device continues to operate but make no mistake about it, you're reducing its useful lifespan with repeated dunks and swims.
I don't intend on giving mine any more dips.....and wouldn't dream of putting it in salt water...........but curiosity got the better of me when i went to the lake to see a couple of mates fishing
same if not better then the s7 edge.
I wash off my s7 edge before because i was working a car and grab te phone and it got dirty.
Also install water screen protector on my s7e , note 7 and s8+ all work fine.
cpufrost said:
I wouldn't make it a habit of purposely using the phone underwater.
Yes, it can take it.
Should you do it, on purpose? Not really.
Just as you don't test a fire extinguisher or even an airbag, it's reassurance in case of accident that your device won't be rendered inoperable.
Water still gets in things even though it doesn't get inside. The headphone jack has internal contacts and these will get contaminated with mineral deposits left behind from being exposed to water. Sea water is far worse as the salt residue that's left behind is highly hygroscopic (meaning it absorbs moisture) so every time the device is in a humid environment those surfaces become wet to the touch and that wetness is both highly corrosive AND conductive. This is why any gear, no matter what its waterproofness rating is, must be rinsed with *fresh* water after use in marine environments.
In short, your device continues to operate but make no mistake about it, you're reducing its useful lifespan with repeated dunks and swims.
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A sensible reply. Ever since the Sony Xperia Z was released I have been debating (arguing like crazy) with peers that these mobiles are NOT waterproof, they have the smallest amount of water resistance. If one reads the manual, and very VERY few owners do, they will realise this water resistance is more of a 'splash resistance' in reality.
Sure Sony had adverts with people making calls while standing in a swimming pool etc BUT soon realised their marketing mistakes. Swimming pool chemicals destroy the protective membranes and cause no end of other problems. I wished all manufactures would simply refer to the mobile as splash resistant.
I have written pages on this very subject. Even though Samsung write that the mobile may be submerged in water to a depth of 1.5M for 30 minutes this is so woefully subjective. Even at surface level immersion in water if you swish the mobile about the force of water induced by movement can and will penetrate the mobiles membranes, its simple lores of science. Sure if one very gently and slowly submerges the mobile to 1.5M for a short period in theory all should be well. WHO is going to do that and why would they?
The IP rating is in reality just saying one can answer the phone with wet hands and make a call in the rain. The mobile device is very VERY far from an underwater camera that is designed for that purpose.
To close, its not truly about depth of water and time but water pressure FWIW. Soap box awayyyyyy:laugh:
Ryland
Ryland Johnson said:
.
To close, its not truly about depth of water and time but water pressure FWIW. Soap box awayyyyyy:laugh:
Ryland
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Is water pressure not down to the depth of water?
Depth pressure is a static reading.
If you toss the phone into a pool that's 1 meter deep the actual realized pressure, albeit brief, is going to be much higher.
This is why you cannot snorkel with a wristwatch rated at 50 meters. The deeper you want to go the more evident this becomes.
Ryland brings up this point that I left out but is painfully obvious to those familiar with it.
Showering with a device is much different than wearing it on your wrist or hip and walking around even if only submersed under a foot or two of water.
I've seen rainproof electrical enclosures fail and upon inspection find them full of water as if their covers were off during the storm. This happens because heavy rain with no wind and heavy rain with 100mph wind gusts are completely different things. They do make such enclosures that are designed for these conditions and they are much more expensive.
If you really want to play with your devices around the pool including dunking and shooting video underwater, invest in a waterproof case. And even then a few drops of water inside the case won't affect your device. Protection is always better in layers.
Just copied this from W'Pedia. I use watches as an example of how the general public are fooled into believing what is written on the back of ones daily watch, vis:..... Quote........
"Water resistance classification[edit]
Watches are often classified by watch manufacturers by their degree of water resistance which, due to the absence of official classification standards, roughly translates to the following (1 metre ≈ 3.29 feet). These vagueries have since been superseded by ISO 22810:2010, in which "any watch on the market sold as water-resistant must satisfy ISO 22810 – regardless of the brand." [5]
Water resistance rating Suitability Remarks
Water Resistant 3 atm or 30 m Suitable for everyday use. Splash/rain resistant. Not suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkelling, water related work and fishing. Not suitable for diving.
Water Resistant 5 atm or 50 m Suitable for swimming, white water rafting, non-snorkeling water related work, and fishing. Not suitable for diving.
Water Resistant 10 atm or 100 m Suitable for recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing and water sports. Not suitable for diving.
Water Resistant 20 atm or 200 m Suitable for professional marine activity, serious surface water sports and skin diving. Suitable for skin diving.
Diver's 100 m Minimum ISO standard (ISO 6425) for scuba diving at depths not suitable for saturation diving. Diver's 100 m and 150 m watches are generally old(er) watches.
Diver's 200 m or 300 m Suitable for scuba diving at depths not suitable for saturation diving. Typical ratings for contemporary diver's watches.
Diver's 300+ m for mixed-gas diving Suitable for saturation diving (helium enriched environment). Watches designed for mixed-gas diving will have the DIVER'S WATCH xxx M FOR MIXED-GAS DIVING additional marking to point this out." End quote.
As you can see a wrist watch rated at 30M is ONLY splash-rain proof!!!!!! Though I am not a horologist some of my family have been for generations and the topic of water resistance is very close to my heart after ruing a VERY expensive watch some many years ago in the shower?!
Ryland
I keep phones on average 3 months. I'm a serial upgrader. Ever since my s6 I've been habitually swimming with my phone's. Never had a issue other than maybe for 24 hours the speaker is miffeled....Now if you plan on actually keeping the phone for longer than the blink of an eye then if baby it. But I jump on demand waaaaaay too often.
craftycarper1 said:
Is water pressure not down to the depth of water?
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Yes BUT. Its an awful lot more complex than that. There is static water pressure ie 1ATM per 10.33M of depth. Remember the surface is already measured at 1ATM . Add force of movement and those figures can go through the roof.
Fill your bath with water and allow your mobile to slowly sink to the bottom, generally no problem BUT if you hold the mobile in your hand and force it through the water even at 1" depth the force becomes another dimension of added pressure.
Our kids splash us with a garden hose and we all laugh. Get hit by a professional fire hose and it will take you for a ride down the street. Yet another example of water pressure.
The above poster says he regularly swims with his mobile. He adds he changes them every three months. Not only will the constant exposure to swimming pool chemicals degenerate the membranes on the mobile but one fine day he will be very surprised to find he has one screwed mobile.
Its a 1k€ device. I respect it for what it is. I also change phones at least 3-4 times a year but when I sell them they are brand new and have not been subjected to misuse. :highfive:
Ryland
Hi so my old tablet is going crazy can anyone help me fix it I have attached a video I think the lcd has gone bad or my gpu is malfunctioning
Was it dropped, exposed to water or prolonged high temperatures?
The cam shake and overhead fan was far more annoying than the display
Nah I just left it suffocating inside my cupboard with my clothes for 6 Years
blackhawk said:
Was it dropped, exposed to water or prolonged high temperatures?
The cam shake and overhead fan was far more annoying than the display
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I just left it in my clothes for 6 years inside my cupboard and for high temperatures is 40 Celsius for 360 hours per year for 3 years fine to kill
The lcd
That's not high enough to harm a LCD.
Exposure to solvents will poison a LCD though, they aren't sealed airtight.
Obviously it didn't age well though.
Try leaving it run for a while. Do not leave in direct sunlight as that can fry them.